Gaillardia plant named &#39;Sun Devil&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Gaillardia  plant named ‘Sun Devil’ characterized by a very compact habit, tubular ray florets of dark red tipped with yellow orange, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Gaillardia×grandiflora

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Sun Devil’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gaillardia×grandiflora and given the cultivar name ‘Sun Devil’. Gaillardia is in the family Asteraceae. This new cultivar is a third generation seeding originating from a planned breeding program to create new dwarf Gaillardia. The exact parents are unknown, unreleased, proprietary plants.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,892), the new cultivar is more compact.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘Frenzy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 19,943), the new cultivar is more compact and has less red color in the ray florets.

Compared to Gaillardia ‘Sun Flare’ (U.S. Plant patent applied for concurrently), the new cultivar has smaller inflorescences with more red color in the ray florets.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This new Gaillardia cultivar is distinguished by:

1. a very compact habit,

2. tubular ray florets of dark red tipped with yellow orange, and

3. excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation (division and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identical characteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by division and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniques with terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows that the foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and are established and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The present invention has not been evaluated under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environment without a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 shows Gaillardia ‘Sun Devil’ in full bloom as a 6 month old in a 1 gallon container grown in full sun in late July in Canby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Gaillardia cultivar based on observations of 6-month-old specimens growing in one gallon containers outside in full sun in Canby, Oreg. Canby is in Zone 8 on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degrees F. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfall in Canby is 42.8 inches per year in the trial fields in Canby, Oreg. The color descriptions are all based on The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:     -   -   Type.—herbaceous perennial.         -   Hardiness.—USDA Zones 3 to 9.         -   Size.—grows to 30 cm wide and 24 cm tall to top of             inflorescences.         -   Form.—basal clump, with about 6 main stems from the base.         -   Vigor.—excellent.         -   Roots.—fibrous, with many downward growing and few laterals,             ivory in color, Yellow White 158D, roots develop easily from             stem cuttings. -   Stem:     -   -   Type.—ascending.         -   Size.—10 mm wide at the base and grows to 8 cm long to             flowering branches.         -   Number of stems from the crown.—about 6 main stems, each of             these branch at every node.         -   Internode length.—5 to 10 mm.         -   Surface.—pubescent.         -   Color.—Yellow Green 147C. -   Leaf:     -   -   Type.—simple.         -   Shape.—oblanceolate.         -   Arrangement.—alternate.         -   Size.—grows to 10 cm long and 2.2 cm wide.         -   Margins.—entire.         -   Venation.—pinnate.         -   Apex.—acute.         -   Surface texture.—pubescent on both sides.         -   Petiole.—on basal leaves, grows to 3 mm long and 2 mm wide,             pubescent, Yellow Green 147C.         -   Color.—top and bottom sides Green 147A with main vein Yellow             Green 147D. -   Inflorescence:     -   -   Type.—stalked terminal heads, daisy type.         -   Peduncle.—grows to 9 cm long and 3 mm wide, pubescent,             Yellow Green 147B.         -   Size.—grow to 7.5 cm wide and 4 mm deep.         -   Immature.—2 cm deep and 3 cm wide, bowl-shaped with             phyllaries and ray florets cupping upwards, ray florets             tubular, pubescent, Yellow 11A tinted Yellow Green 145A. on             the top ⅓ with bottom ⅔ Greyed Red 178A, disc 17 mm wide and             Greyed Purple 187B on outer half, center Yellow Green 145A.         -   Receptacle.—disc shaped, becoming 5 mm wide and 1.5 mm deep,             Yellow Green 145D.         -   Phyllary.—about 40 in number, cupping upwards; grow to 30 mm             long and 8 mm wide, lance-attenuate, margin entire, tip             acuminate, pubescent and Green 137A on both sides.         -   Disc.—conic, deeper with maturity, 30 mm wide and becoming             15 mm deep with maturity, Greyed Purple 187B.         -   Lastingness.—each inflorescence 7 to 14 days on the plant. -   Florets:     -   -   Arrangement.—radiate.         -   i Ray florets.—grow to 30 mm long and 25 mm wide, about 23             in number with no pistil or stamen, pubescent outside and             glabrous inside, tubular and three lobed; lobes oblong, 12             mm long and 7 mm wide, margins entire, with the tips             notched; tube 20 mm long and 1 to 5 mm wide; back side color             Greyed Purple 183A on bottom of tube to 182A on top of tube             and up into the ¾ of the lobe with Yellow 12A on top ⅓ of             lobes, inside color is Red 53A except at top where Red 47A             and up into ¾ of the lobe with Yellow 12A on top ⅓ of lobes.         -   Disc florets.—with stamen and pistil, about 140 in number,             17 mm long and 3 mm wide, tubular; corolla 9 mm long and 3             mm wide, 5 lobed, pubescent outside and glabrous inside,             Greyed Purple 187A on lobe tips to Red 53B on top ⅓ to             Greyed Purple 185B on middle ⅓ to Yellow Green 145D on             bottom ⅓; pistil 1, ovary 4 mm long, hairy, Yellow Green             145D, style 4 mm long, White 155A, with extruding 2-branched             stigma, 5 mm long, Greyed Purple 187A; stamen 5, 7 mm long,             Greyed Orange 165C, anthers 5 mm long, pollen Yellow Orange             15A.         -   Bloom period.—June through September in Canby, Oreg.         -   Fragrance.—light, Chrysanthemum-like.         -   Seed.—none seen.         -   Fertility.—infertile. -   Disease and pests: Insect and disease resistance is believed to be     typical for the genus. 

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct Gaillardia plant as herein illustrated and described. 